Dana LaMarr Tolson Blake

A graduate of the Summer Class of 2016 Dog Tag Fellowship Program, Dana Blake is a Native DMV resident, born in DC and raised in Maryland.  After trying her hand at working in the federal government, Dana decided that she wanted to broaden her horizons by going back to school, traveling and venture into being more than an executive GS5 executive secretary.  In order to do that, she decided to join the military.  After checking out all the services, she decided the Air Force would be her best fit.  So March 5th 1986 began her military adventure. She served 4 years active duty; then 8-1/2 years in the reserve; then went back on active duty for the remainder of her total of 27 years of honorable service.  Dana was an Aerospace Medical Service Craftsman most of her career, but she did have a stint as a reserve recruiter, education & training tech, mobility technician and squadron medial element technician.  In 2000, she went to Prince Sultan AB, Saudi Arabia for operation enduring freedom as the NCOIC of the Coalition Clinic and in 2010 she went to Balad AFB, Iraq as the A8 Medic for the 732 AES.

Dana earned her AA degree in Allied Health Science from the Community College of the Air Force in May of 2007.  She is currently 5 classes from her BS degree in Social Sciences w/Education Concentration from Ashford University.  Upon her Retirement from Active Duty on 31 January 2013 out of Luke AFB, AZ (where she spent the last 9 years of her enlistment) as a E-7 Master Sergeant she returned to her hometown of Upper Marlboro, MD (where she currently resides) and got a job as an adjunct professor for Westwood College teaching Medical Assistant Courses from Aug 2013 to March 2016.  She also is a local area published 40+ print and runway model, has been in several local plays and has a small role in an upcoming independent film called “Secret Admyrer”.  Since retiring Dana is very active in the Veteran community. Since 2014, she is the VP of Events for Women Veterans Interactive (WVI), a non-profit organization which helps women veterans and families with homelessness and transition issues at their point of need.

Dana is also the proud mother of 2 handsome boys (Julian 26 & Darrius 23); and she also had a set of fraternal twins for another couple as a host surrogate in 1995. She found out about the Dog Tag, Inc. Fellowship Program through the WVI FB Page and decided to apply to learn more about the business world and venture into Marketing and PR.